By Rick Karlin

Updated 2:51 pm, Tuesday, February 21, 2012

NEWCOMB — This may be a winter of discontent for skiers, but hard-core enthusiasts will always find a way to have their fun.

On Monday, that way was along a 19th-century carriage road that runs to the Camp Santanoni Historic Site in the Adirondack Park.

Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens along with assorted DEC officials and historic preservationists brought a group of skiers to the former Great Camp, which is slowly being restored and turned into one of the Adirondack Park's most unique attractions.

As well as showcasing the Great Camp, the trip also provided a clear illustration that despite this winter's warm and dry weather, there are still places for cross country, or Nordic, skiers to explore.

All it takes is a willingness to drive a bit and some knowledge of the Adirondacks' unique topography, which includes pockets of reliable snow.

The 9.8-mile round trip to Camp Santanoni and back to Newcomb is popular for a lot of reasons, including its relatively gentle terrain and accessibility in the town of Newcomb off Route 28N.

Because it was built as a carriage trail used by horse and carriage drivers, it's wide and smooth. Cut through dense forest, there's also plenty snow-saving shade.

Moreover, it's in one of several spots in the Adirondacks that are known for getting lots of snow.

Starting at about 1,600 feet above sea level, the trail gets snow earlier in the year than many places and it stays longer.

And because it's on the southern edge of the High Peaks, it catches moisture from storms coming up from the south.

Like their alpine/downhill counterparts, lots of occasional cross-country skiers may be staying home this winter but the most avid enthusiasts are still coming to the North Country.

"Dedicated skiers are going to look around and if there is snow anywhere they'll find it," said Goodwin.

That was the case with Ed Sobin and Lisa Fernandez, one of several dozen ski tourers who came to Santanoni on Monday.

Sobin, of Brooklyn and Fernandez, of New Haven, Conn., had earlier in the week gone hiking in the High Peaks and even though there was almost no snow in the town of Keene to the Northeast, a forest ranger there told them about Newcomb's snow pack.

"It's a snowy area," Fernandez said. People in New York City, Sobin added, just assume that there is no snow in the mountains since there's been none in their back yards.

Still, there's no getting around the fact that snow has been scarce even in the North Country which has received about 33 inches of snowfall compared to the usual 103 inches by this time of year.

Goodwin, who has been living and skiing the region full time since 1976, figures this may be the third-driest winter in recent memory.

Of course, there have been snow shortages throughout the area's history.

The Lake Placid Olympic games in both 1932 and 1980 came and went with nominal snow.

While they had snowmaking equipment in 1980, organizers in 1932 had to use boxcars to haul snow to the ski jump and Nordic track, said Goodwin.

Back then, Camp Santanoni was starting what was to be a long downhill slide. Its creator, Albany banker Robert Pruyn, had lost much of his fortune in the Great Depression, said Steven Engelhart, executive director of Adirondack Architectural Heritage, a group dedicated to preserving the region's cultural landmarks such as great camps and fire towers.

Engelhart as well as Martens were at Santanoni as part of an "Open House" designed to acquaint visitors with the camp's history. One of three such events this winter, organizers opened up one of the buildings at the camp: the former artist's cabin, to the public. Skiers were able to warm up in the small structure, which is equipped with a wood stove, as well as a spacious Northern Exposure view of Newcomb Lake which is beside the Great Camp.

Hewed from native wood and stone, the main building is unique among Great Camps, Engelhart explained, since it was inspired by Japanese architecture. As a youth, Pruyn's dad was a diplomat stationed in Japan and he developed a lifelong interest in that style of building. Camp Santanoni is designed to evoke a giant bird, with wings outstretched, facing Newcomb Lake.

Unlike some other Great Camps, it doesn't jump out from the surroundings. Instead, it blends in with the landscape, Japanese style.

The Pruyn's descendants sold the camp and surrounding property in 1953 and by 1972, with help from the Nature Conservancy, the camp and surrounding 12,900 acres were added to the Adirondack forest preserve.

Martens sees structures like these as integral to the Adirondack's unique identity.

"I've always been a huge proponent of the cultural resources of the park ... they tell the story of the park, they tell the history," he said.

While the camp has been empty for years, it's surprisingly well preserved. But full restoration has been a slow, ongoing process. An estimated $1.7 million has been spent to shore up the structure which sits under a 15,000-square-foot roof.

Work has gone on for several years now, and the Architectural Heritage group has been key, since the state simply doesn't have the money to fix up the buildings.

"The state of New York couldn't have done this alone," said Martens.

They are planning another open house during the weekend of March 17 and 18 and from the looks of things, there should still be plenty of snow for the ski tourers.